The Caterpillars have been reported as feeding on the foliage of various trees including :

When not feeding, the Caterpillars rest in a curled leaf or the entrance to the ants nest.

The pupa is formed in similar situations. It is green with brown markings.

Male

On top, the males are an iridescent blue with narrow black margins.

Female
(Specimen: courtesy of the Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)

The females are an iridescent greenish-blue. with a broad black border around the edges of the wings. Both adults have a short black tail at the tornus of each hindwing.

Female, underside
(Specimen: courtesy of the Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)

Underneath, both are brown with arcs of light and dark spots. The butterflies have a wingspan of about 4 cms.

The eggs are pale blue and round. They are laid singly on young shoots of a foodplant that has a nest of the attendant ant species.

The species is recognised as comprising about 16 sub-species found in Melanesia and New Guinea as well as the north coast of Australia. Here, it has been suggested that there are three races :

but later studies have shown that these may just be clinal variations of just one or two subspecies.

(Courtesy of Kraft Australia)

Further reading :

Michael F. Braby,
Butterflies of Australia, CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne 2000, vol. 2, pp. 690-691.

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